Valve for pneumatic musical-instrument players.



L.D.PERRY. VALVE FOB. PNEUMATIC MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT PLAYERS.

APPLIUATION FILED TUNE 8,1908.

90?,642. Patented Dec. 22,1908.

Z Q p I m v x.

INVENTOR ATTHRIVEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYOUS D. PERRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO L UDWIG & COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' VALVE FOR PNEUMATIC MUSICAL-INSTRUMEN T PLAYERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYcUs' D. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Bronx, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Pneumatic Musical-Instrument Players, of which the following, in connection-with the accompanying drawings and the, reference characters marked thereon, is a full, clear, and

exact specification, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to make my improvements and practice my invention.

This invention has relation to an improved valve for pneumatic actions such as are em-- ployed in mechanical piano players, mechanical organ players and in other mechanical musical instruments.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide or produce a valve for the above named mechanisms or for others of like character, which valve has perfect seating capacities as well as being noiseless in action and which will leave the suction seat promptly, smoothly and perfectly and return improvements involve certain new and useful arrangements or combinations of parts and peculiarities of construction, as. will be herein first fully explained and then poi'nted out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form partof this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing my improved valve intwo sections, one section being arranged to close against its seat, while the other section remains open or away from its seat, the two sections being connected so as tobe simultaneously moved. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the valve undivided. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view showing the valve andthe means for maintaining OrQguiding it in its working position relative to its seats.

In all these figures like reference characters, whereverthey occur, are employed to indicate corresponding parts.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 8, 1908.. Serial No. 437,230.

Patented Dec 22, 1908.

The valve is in the general form of a puppet valve and is shown in o erating position. 1 represents a chamber 0 any suitable size or shape, such. as may be used in a pneumatically operated mechanical musical instrument player.-

2 represents a port leading to the chamber 1 for the admission of air thereto from the exterior, and 3 represents a port leading from this chamber and into another chamber from which air may be exhausted. The improved valve is located between these two ports andserves to open and close them both according to its position. The valve itself is of pecul iar construction. It may be made in two "parts or divisions, adjustable one with respect to the other, as in Fig. 1, to adapt the valve'fer operation in chambers or compartments of different heights. In this form two valve disksare employed, as 4 and 5. While I do not wish to confine myself to any particular material these disks are made of a comparatively soft, yielding material and are applied on a threaded stem, as 6, the stem being supplied with threaded buttons, as 7 and 8, by which the distance of the two disks from each other may be regulated, as will be apparent.

The valve disks are covered on their seat ing sides with a tight-fitting,soft leather, as 9, which is glued to the disk around its edges, no glue or cement being permitted on the bearing part of the leather, whereby it always maintains its soft-scating capacity and entirely noiseless quality.

At 10 is a disk made of a rigid material, such as fiber or some other suitable substance, and this disk is glued fast to the leather covering at ornearthe central part of the valve. This holds the" adjacent disk firmly with respect to the central stem 6'and does not interfere with the noiseless and perfect seating of the valve, the disk 10 being small in comparison with the port 3. The upper disk, 4, might also be supplied with a similar comparatively hard and small disk, but at this point such an application is unnecessary.

llihen one part or division of this valve is seated, the other part is withdrawn from its seat, as will be .observed.

The stem 6 may be operated to move the valve in either direction by any suitable means. In the form shown, it is operated by a diaphragm, as 11, which is fitted to rise and loo fall orhenove according to the degree of air pressure or the extent'oi exhaustion on its upper or under face, as is usual in this class devices. l

Vl hen the valve is undivided, as in Fig. 2, the disk, 4*, of soft yielding material, has an under cover of leather, as at 9 and an upper leather cover, as at 9 the former being turned up at the edge all around and glued in place against the margin of the disk and the latter being turned down and overlapping the edge of the former and being glued upon it,- no gluebeing allowed upon the bearing portion Of'EltllGl leather cover. This disk is mounted upon a threaded stem, 6, and is held in place .at the proper point thereon by a comparatively hard or unyielding disk, 10, the same being smaller than the port 3. This valve is or may beoperated by a diaphragm as 11, the same as the previously described form of the valve and for like purposes.

.To keep the valve in its proper position with respect to the ports which it governs and to avoid unnecessary friction and loss of ower as well as to obviate sticking, it is surrounded by a sort of which prevents it from becoming displaced or disarranged and yet does not interfere with. its free movements.

13 represents a flat disk of metal which is to be secured in place upon the board or par-- tition M. This disk is cut away at its central part to provide fingers or pickets, 15, 15, and these are turned up at right angles with the face of the disk and they thus fflllll the pickets of a fence or cage around. the valve. f the valve hits one 'of these pickets, the soft leather cover with which thevvalve disk is provided operates to prevent friction and to insure the requisite smooth and noiseless movement. method of holding the valve to its proper It will be observed that this senses tion; and the pickets are of sufiicient width' and number to hold the valve at alltimes in its true" position while the air is perfectly free to pass between the pickets without friction.

In other constructions known to the art, these valves are usually held in place by a stem which passes through the center of the valve and engages with guides at each end of the stem. Such a construction causes more or less friction and loss of power which are entirely obviated by my form of construction.

F or the manufacture of the valve, a perfectly hard disk might be employed, but in such case it would be necessary to place a felt disk of sufificient thickness between the hard disk'and the soft leather cover, in order to secure theladvantages ofiny' invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. ln pneumatic musical instrument players, a puppet valve having a disk with its two faces covered with leather or other suitable material, the coverings extending over the edge of the disk, turned or bent, and the edge of one covering lapping over and being glued to the turned portion of the other covering, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a pneumatic action for mechanical musical instrument players, a puppet, valve and. a ring circumscrib'ing the same, said ring being provided with portions projecting at right angles to its face, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

LYCUS D. PERRY. Witnesses J. M. llowzinn, R. B. SrniNsnAM, 

